Nottingham-based business Stanford Gould Online has won an award for its professional services to the wedding industry.
The seventh Global Wedding Awards, managed by publishing group AI Media, spans the entirety of the wedding sector, from venues to cake designers, organisers, digital planning software and beyond. The awards recognise businesses who demonstrate extensive expertise, dedication to customer service and client satisfaction with an ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation.
Stanford Gould Online, a division of Stanford Gould Group, is now into its fifth year of trading. It supports wedding suppliers with their legal and contractual matters and provides an affordable, ‘off the shelf’ template solution, tailored to different suppliers in the wedding industry. After recognising a need for businesses in this under-represented industry, director and former practising solicitor Heather Stanford, set up Stanford Gould Online to make it easy for wedding suppliers to protect themselves with legally robust terms and conditions.
Stanford said: “The business pre-dates COVID, but we’re certainly one of the lucky businesses that was overwhelmed with demand for support throughout the pandemic, as the wedding industry was turned on its head. Many suppliers were unprepared for such unprecedented circumstances and their legal terms didn’t protect them. We helped many businesses to navigate this nightmarish period and ultimately remain operational at the end of it.”
Affectionately known as the ‘Legal Fairy Godmother’ by her clients and network, the business owner formally adopted the label as part of her branding by registering the trademark in 2022.
“Legal matters and terminology can be overwhelming and difficult to make sense of, for creative businesses in particular. So many of my clients feel as though I have rescued them from that stress and confusion and a potential minefield of contractual problems.”
Her advice to players in the wedding industry is simple: “Protect yourself from the outset with clear, legally sound terms and cover all eventualities and set out exactly how you work and what clients can expect. It’s the only way to protect yourself and limit the damage in unforeseen circumstances, just like we’ve experienced over the last three years.”
